<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Cookies Are A Love Language by sublime_sunlight</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24565768">Cookies Are A Love Language</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sublime_sunlight/pseuds/sublime_sunlight'>sublime_sunlight</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Welcome to Crypto Coffee [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Adventure Zone (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Burnout - Freeform, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Fluff, Human AU, M/M, Misunderstandings, No Beta, barclay and duck are best friends because i can, barclay flirts via baking, coffee shop AU, not mentioned but like duck is just trans, some of us just want someone to force us to take a mental health break, trans duck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:20:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,241</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24565768</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sublime_sunlight/pseuds/sublime_sunlight</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Barclay flirts through giving a cute new customer his famous homemade cookies, and scores a date in the process.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Barclay/Agent Stern (The Adventure Zone), Dani/Aubrey Little</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Welcome to Crypto Coffee [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775653</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cookies Are A Love Language</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Chupacabra Café Mocha for…” Barclay glanced back down to the cup. “Stern?”<br/>A man wearing a sharp suit rushed up to the counter. “Thank you. What do I own you?” He started rifling in his satchel.<br/>“Um, you paid already?” Barclay set down the coffee. The man looked sheepishly back at him and grabbed his coffee. <br/>“Yes, I guess I did,” he sighed.  “I’m sorry, it’s my first day at a new job and I’m incredibly nervous.”<br/>“’Where you working?” Barclay started reorganizing the cups. It was early enough that chatting with this guy was still okay, most of the regular Kepler customers wouldn’t be there for another hour.<br/>“Downtown, the mayor’s office. It’s my first real government job and well,” he motioned down to his suit. “I want to make a good first impression.”<br/>“Nothing wrong with that,” Barclay said. He remembered his first big break, as a barista at this very shop. Food was always his passion, so Crypto Coffee was his dream. He felt a kinship with the man in front of him. Chasing dreams was a brave thing, it took some serious courage.<br/>He reached over to the baking sheet he had just pulled out of the oven and wrapped a fresh cookie in a napkin. “Take this. Consider it a good luck charm.”<br/>The man looked surprised. “Really? I’m afraid I don’t have any more money.”<br/>Barclay shook his head. “On the house. Go kill it, man.”<br/>“Thank you so much,” the man took a bite of the cookie. “Jesus, that’s good.”<br/>Barclay laughed. “Yeah, cooking is my big thing.”<br/>The man finished his cookie. “What’s your name? I want to know who my knight in shining apron is.”<br/>“Barclay,” he smiled at the ‘knight’ comment.<br/>“Joseph, nice to meet you Barclay.” He looked at his watch. “Ah, shit, I’ve gotta go. Same time tomorrow?”<br/>“No problem Joseph.”<br/>*****<br/>“Barclay, why do you want my morning shifts? You never work those.”<br/>“It’s nothing Duck, I just want to make the cookies tomorrow. Yours are always shit anyway.”<br/>“You take that back!” Duck sounded like he was standing up on the other side of the phone. “I swear, I’m coming to kick your ass.”<br/>Barclay laughed. “See you tonight. Does The Shining work?”<br/>“Aw, the Blockbuster doesn’t have The Conjuring?”<br/>“Nah. Some guy in an orange sweater checked it out yesterday.”<br/>“Dang. Okay well,” Barclay heard meowing on the line. “No, Minnie, don’t eat that. Sorry, she’s all grumpy because of the heat. My air conditioning broke.”<br/>“Aw poor baby. Does she want her favorite person to come over and give her kisses?” Barclay made a kissy noises into the phone. <br/>“See you tonight, weirdo.” Duck hung up, but not before letting Barclay say goodbye to Minnie. Him and Duck’s cat were best friends. Barclay had always had a way with animals, and even aloof Minnie was irresistible to his charm.<br/>Barclay was still working the morning shift but was already looking forward to his meeting with Joseph. During a lull between customers, Barclay pulled out his ancient cookbook. He’d had it since college and collected only the most excellent recipes.<br/>The goal was to blow Joseph’s mind with some homemade cookies. Deep in the recesses of the dessert tab, Barclay found an old family recipe. Perfect.<br/>*****<br/>“Morning Joseph!” Barclay smiled brightly. He had woken up extra early to bake cookies.<br/>Joseph smiled back. “Hi, Barclay.” He sniffed the air. “What’s that amazing smell?”<br/>Barclay pulled a cookie sheet from the oven. “Molasses cookies. They’re my aunt’s recipe, she taught me everything I know.”<br/>Joseph looked at the cookies in surprise. “Those are my favorite. Thank you.”<br/>“No problem,” he handed Joseph his mocha. “Here’s your coffee. How’d the first day downtown go?”<br/>“Amazing! They said I was a valuable new asset to the team.” He seemed to deflate slightly. “Sorry, it’s only my second day. I need to manage my expectations.”<br/>“It sounds like they love you. All enthusiasm is warranted,” Barclay smiled at him warmly and patted his shoulder. Joseph gave him a shy look.<br/>“Um,” he looked at the ground. “Thank you. I’m glad you were working here yesterday, and today.” He gave Barclay a mischievous look.<br/>Barclay flushed. “Yeah, I did sort’ve switch shifts. I wanted to make sure you got your lucky charm today.”<br/>Joseph pulled out a sharpie and started writing on a napkin. “Well, I appreciate that Barclay.” He handed the napkin to Barclay. “See you tomorrow?”<br/>Barclay, still flustered, took the napkin without looking. “For sure.”<br/>Joseph gave him a smile and left the Crypto. After a moment, Barclay leaned back against the counter. He stared at the crumpled napkin in his hand. <br/>555-674-8997<br/>Call me?<br/>*****<br/>Duck stirred his espresso across the table from Barclay. His exhaustion with his best friend was clear on his face.<br/>“Barclay, why can’t ya just call him?” Duck downed his espresso and grimaced. They had both worked the closing shift of the Crypto, and Duck had to work on inventory on the new shipment from Morgantown. <br/>“Because!” Barclay nervous ran his hands through his hair. “What if I say something weird? I’m fine in person, but a phone call is so… intimate, I guess?”<br/>Duck raised his eyebrows. “It’s the least personal thing ever. Just call him and invite him to lunch or something. Thirty seconds, boom, over with.”<br/>“Where should we even go? This is the only good restaurant in Kepler, except for the Lodge.”<br/>“I mean, can’t go wrong with their soup,” Duck went to stand up. <br/>Barclay stood up too. “Jeez, you and that soup. It’s borderline obsessive.”<br/>“French onion soup is a wonder of the world, Barclay, you’re just close-minded.”<br/>“Fine, I’ll call him, and we can see what he thinks of the soup when we go to lunch. Happy?” Barclay pulled out his phone and typed in Joseph’s number.<br/>Duck leaned over to look at the screen. “You had that memorized?” <br/>Barclay hummed noncommittally. “Maybe so.” He pressed call.<br/>Within two rings Joseph picked up. “Barclay! I’m glad you called. I was worried that I was being a bit too forward.”<br/>Barclay laughed sheepishly. “No, not at all. I was way too nervous to call you.”<br/>“Gay,” Duck whispered. Barclay elbowed him and kept talking.<br/>“Anyways,” Barclay continued. “Since you’re new in Kepler, we have to treat you to the only other restaurant here. I mean, besides Pizza Hut.”<br/>“That sounds great. When works?”<br/>Barclay briefly scrambled for an answer. “Um, does tomorrow at eight work? I’m only working the morning shift.”<br/>“Perfect,” Joseph said, the smile evident in his voice. “I’ll see you then.”<br/>As Barclay hung up, Duck started laughing. “I’ve never seen you that flustered. This guy must be a real catch, huh?”<br/>Barclay smiled fondly. “Yeah, he is.”<br/>*****<br/>“Looking sharp, my guy.” Duck smiled at Barclay from the driver’s side of his truck. Being a barista paid well, but Kepler really didn’t necessitate a car. Thus, Barclay’s distinct lack of a car to get to the Lodge.<br/>“Thanks.” Barclay nervously fiddled with his nice orange flannel that brought out the warm tones in his tanned skin. “Do you think I look fancy enough?”<br/>Duck chuckled and started to pull out of the parking lot. “As fancy as you get. Good luck, Casanova.”<br/>“Thanks, Duck.” <br/>The Lodge was a rustic converted ski resort with high, beamed ceilings overlooking the crowded tables. Mama, the Lodge’s owner was always willing to help out the disenfranchised passing through Kepler, which meant the Lodge was always full of people who Mama had offered a warm bed to. These ranks included Aubrey Little, who greeted Barclay at the door in a tuxedo T-shirt.<br/>“Good evening, Mr. Barclay,” she said in a British accent. She gestured to his table.<br/>“Is that really the uniform here?” He said as he sat down.<br/>“No uniform,” Aubrey adjusted her fake lapels. “I just wanted to give you and that new guy you’re dating the full fancy dining experience.”<br/>Barclay tapped the table erratically. “We’re not dating.” He felt his phone buzz through his jeans and reached to turn it off. No distractions.<br/>Aubrey shrugged. “Whatever you say my guy. I’ll send him over when he shows up.”<br/>“Thanks, Aubrey.”<br/>Every few minutes, Barclay checked his watch and glanced anxiously around. The Lodge was filled with diners from around Kepler, but none wore Joseph’s signature sharp suit. Occasionally, Barclay would catch sight of Aubrey. Every time he did, she only shook her head and gave him a sympathetic look. <br/>As the rest of the customers filed out, Barclay continued to anxiously wait for Joseph. The sky outside grew dark and the lights of Kepler flickered from down the mountain. Eventually, Aubrey came over to Barclay’s table in the now empty dining room. <br/>Aubrey handed him a cup of tea and sat down next to him. “I’m sorry he bailed.”<br/>Barclay sipped the tea and didn’t respond. His eyes burned as he watched the cars inch down the hillside. A familiar pickup was stubbornly speeding up the hill.<br/>Aubrey looked sheepishly at the truck. “I might’ve called Duck. Didn’t want you to be stuck up here for the night.”<br/>“Thanks.” Barclay’s voice sounded raspy in his ears. Aubrey shot him a smile and disappeared into the Lodge kitchen. As the door closed, Barclay caught a glance at a young Korean woman with bleached blonde hair sitting on the kitchen counter. As Aubrey entered the room, the woman smiled widely. <br/>Barclay felt a pang in his chest watching them. The pickup had now come to a stop in front of the Lodge, and Barclay went outside to face his best friend.<br/>Duck was leaning against the truck. He was wearing a large sweatshirt that said, “I sucked the Mothman’s dick in Point Pleasant, West Virginia.”<br/>Barclay laughed. “I hate that sweatshirt.”<br/>Duck lightly punched his shoulder and opened the passenger side door. “I’ll get you a Bigfoot one.”<br/>*****<br/>Barclay was still on the morning shift and beginning to regret that decision. Seeing a guy who rejected him was bad enough, but on top of that humiliation he’d had to borrow Duck’s clothes.<br/>This meant Barclay was now rocking a T-shirt from the band The Tres Horny Boys and some banana patterned shorts because Duck wouldn’t know style if it punched him in the face.<br/>When Joseph finally showed up Barclay tried to look nonchalant, but the guy looked exhausted. His normally impeccable suit was disheveled, and his hair was unkept. His eyes looked puffy and dull.<br/>“Just a black coffee, please.” Joseph pulled out his wallet clumsily. Barclay set to making the drink, while eyeing him with a look of concern.<br/>“Barclay, I…” Joseph rubbed his eyes. “God, I’m so sorry. You can be mad all you want, I just got so caught up with work…”<br/>Barclay turned and gave him a nod. Go on, then.<br/>“There was this car crash on main street, and it’s normally not my problem but the sheriff was having dinner with his wife, so I did his paperwork,” Joseph seemed to pick up more steam. “Which is not a thing I should be doing but the clerk insisted it needed to get done. Then Rhonda wanted me to look over some old budgeting files which isn’t exactly my job either but she’s been lovely and-“<br/>He stopped. “And I missed our date, Barclay.” The words sounded painful coming out. <br/>Joseph leaned against the shop wall with his eyes closed. “I’m sorry. You deserve a guy who makes all the time in the world for you. You’re so sweet, and funny, and I messed up.”<br/>Barclay leaned over the counter and pressed a kiss to Joseph’s forehead. He felt the shorter man sigh onto his neck.<br/>“First,” Barclay pulled back and dumped out the black coffee. “I’m making you some tea because god you look like you need it, and you’re taking the day off.”<br/>Joseph started to object, but Barclay raised a hand to cut him off. “No buts. Go home or stay here, but I’m making you take a mental health day. And when you feel better, I’m taking you on an amazing date. Anywhere you want, hell, we can go to the Pizza Hut if that’s your vibe.”<br/>Joseph snorted. “I’m a Dominoes man.”<br/>Barclay laughed. “Not in this town you’re not. Pizza Hut or nothing, handsome.”<br/>“Handsome, huh?” Joseph sat up on the counter and looked Barclay up and down. “Wait… are you wearing banana pants?”<br/>“I don’t wanna talk about it. Had a weird night.” Barclay handed him the tea.<br/>“So did I. God, do I smell? I feel like I smell.” Joseph sniffed himself, and Barclay also sniffed him without thinking.<br/>“First off, sorry that was weird.” Joseph laughed. “And no, you just smell like burnt coffee and office paper. And peppermint.”<br/>“I should shower. And nap. And eat my weight in garlic bread.” Joseph gave Barclay a tired smile. “See you this afternoon?”<br/>Barclay gave him another kiss, this time on one of his dimples. “See you then.”<br/>Joseph blushed. “Count on it.” He hopped off the counter in a way that Barclay found almost unbearably cute and went home to carbo load.<br/>Barclay leaned against the counter and beamed. Maybe getting up early today wasn’t so bad. As he cleaned off the mugs in preparation for the morning rush, Duck burst in.<br/>“Fucking called it!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Indrid is mentioned briefly because I have feeling he loves horror movies.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>